v<,- 


PERKINS  LIBRARY 

Uaice   University 


Kare   Dooks 


1903 


Gift  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Drcd  Peacock 


'lf'Tr-'Ah<^    -^^A  ^«jl-ak-^ 


iTV^-k^ 


^oAe^^ 


■^®  i^sis  :gw:B:^i'©. 


A  large  number  of  the  Members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
in  this  City,  having  seceded  from  her  communion,  a  proper  regard 
for  our  own  characters,  and  the  opinions  of  the  world,  demand  that 
the  causes  ichich  led  to  this  act  should  be  made  knoicn.  In  doing 
this,  xce  shall  endeavor  to  divest  ourselves  of  all  ivijyroper  feeling 
and  prejudice,  and  give  a  plain  unvarnished  statement  of  facts. 

For  a  length  of  time  past,  much  dissatisfaction  has  existed 
among  the  members,  in  consequence  of  colored  persons  sitting 
among  the  whites  in  the  Methodist  Churches.  Frequent  efforts 
were  made  to  prevent  it,  but  without  success.  Repeated  appli- 
cations were  made  to  the  preachers,  to  speak  to  the  leading  men 
of  that  class  of  persons,  and  to  insist  upon  a  discontinuance  of 
this  offensive  practice,  as  one  that  could  not,  and  would  not  be 
tolerated.  This  was  declined,  on  the  ground  that  it  was  no  part 
of  the  ministerial  duty,  and  might  be  productive  of  harm,  by- 
exciting  a  feeling  of  discontent  and  opposition  to  the  ministry 
among  that  class  of  persons.  It  was  remarked  by  the  preacher 
in  charge,  that  it  was  the  pronnce  of  the  members  to  preserve 
order  in  the  churches,  and  to  prevent  the  insolent  intrusion  of 
coloured  persons  ;  that  if  any  proved  refractory,  the  guard, 
usually  stationed  at  the  Church  door,  should  be  called  in  to 
remove  them.  The  monibers  determined  to  pursue  the  course 
thus  advised,  and  accordingly,  on  the  next  sabbath,  after  request- 
ing some  colored  men  to  remove,  the  Church  being  crowded,  and 
a  number  of  gentlemen  standing  in  the  aisles,  and  they  refusing 
to  do  so,  force  was  used,  and  they  were  put  out  of  the  Church. 
This  gave  great  offence  to  some  of  the  whites,  who  were  more 
careful  for  the  accommodation  of  the  colored  persons  than  for 
1 


ts 


r  ^t-.     V 


respectable  gentlemen  \'ho  occasionally   visited  the  Church; 
they   alledging  that  these   persons  had   occupied  the   seats   in 
dis[)ate  for  a  long  time,  and  were  entitled  to  them.     In  order  to 
settle  the  controversy,  the  Quarterly  Conference,  which  is  com- 
posed ol'  all  the  oiBcial  members  of  the   Church,  passed  certain 
resolutions  defining  the  lx)undaries  of  the  colored  persons,   and 
directing  the  Trustees  so  to  alter  the  seats,  and  the  entrance  into 
the   Churches,   as  to  prevent  them  from  intermixing  with  the 
whites  ;  and  appointing  a  committee  to  convey  these  resolutions 
to  the  Trustees.     The  committee  accordingly  waited  upon  the 
preacher  in  charge,  who  is  ex-officio  Chairman  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees,  and  requested  him  to  call  a  meeting  of  that  body.    He 
did  so  ;  and  the  committee  attended  at  the  appointed  time  and 
place  to  lay  before  them  the  proceedings  of  the  Conference.     A 
letter  was  then  read  from  the  Treasurer  of  the  Board,  Mr.  S.  J. 
Wagner,  stating  that  it  was  not  convenient  to  attend,  and  giving  it 
as  his  opinion  that  the  resolutions  of  the  Conference  were  highly 
injudicious  ;  that  if  carried  into  effect  it  was  probable  that  many 
of  the  coloured  persons  would  leave  the  Church ;  and  thereby 
one  of  the  great  sources  oj  revenue  he  cut  off;  therefore  recom- 
mending to  the  Board  not  to  do  what  the  Conference  had  requir- 
ed them  to  perform.     The  reading  of  this  letter  was  followed  by 
some  remarks  from  Dr.  Capers,  the  preacher  in  charge,  in  which 
he  stated,  that  a  colored  leader  had  called  on  him  the  evening 
previous,  and  made  a  similar  statement ;  and  he  concluded  by 
observing  that  he  would  consult  with  HoUoway,  and  Clark,  and 
others  of  them,  (coloured  men,)  and  ascertain  if  they  would  be 
satisfied  with  the  proposed  arrangement — if  they  were,  well. — 
If  not,  in  his  opinion  nothing  ought  to  be  done.     Thus  the  peace 
and  dignity  of  the  Church  was  to  be  sacrificed,  and  the  feelings 
of   the   white  members   outraged,   to  gratify   the   ambition,  and 
support  the  pride  of  a  few  men  who  were  of  too  much  conse- 
quence to  sit  with  persons  of  their  own  color  ;  and  because  there 
existed  an  appreb»ension  that  the  loss  of  a  i'cw  pence  might  be 
the  consequence.     And  it  may  not  be  improper  to  remark,  that 
one  of  the  persons  named  above  to  be  consulted,  was  the  one 
who  had  first  been  compelled  to  relinquish  his  seat,  after  great 
obstinacy  on  his  part ;  and  that  another  was  the  father  of  him 
who  had  been  forcibly  put  out.     As  however  it  was  remarked 
that  there  was  not  a  quorum  present,  nothing  definite  was  done. 
On  the  next  evening  a  monthly  meeting  of  the  Society  took 
place,  when  Dr.  C.  took  occasion  to  make  some  remarks  which 
were  highly  offensive  to  the  Members.     He  stated,  in  substance, 
that  many  of  the  coloured  members  were  of  high  respectability, 


and  had  more  wealth  at  their  command  than  most  of  the  whites  ; 
infering  very  clearly  that  they  were  entitled  to  great  consideration 
on  account  of  their  money.  The  next  day  the  committee  of  the 
Conference  addressed  a  letter  to  the  preacher  requesting  that 
another  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  might  be  called,  as 
nothing  had  been  done  at  the  previous  meeting,  for  want  of  a 
quoriinu  On  the  evening  of  the  same  day  they  met  accidentally 
with  the  preacher,  who  appeared  much  excited  in  consequence 
of  the  committee's  persisting  in  pursuing  the  object  of  theirappoint- 
ment.  He  manifested  much  warmth,  and  gave  them  to  under- 
stand that  he  and  the  Trustees  were  decidedly  opposed  to  the 
measure  proposed  by  the  Conference;  at  the  same  time  remarking 
that  the  Conference  was  not  the  Church,  and  he  saw  no  reason 
why  he  or  they,  (the  Trustees)  should  be  governed  by  any  reso- 
lutions it  might  choose  to  pass. 

In  order  to  convince  him  that  the  Chiuxh  was  favorable  to  the 
proposed  alteration,  and  anxious  that  the  resolutions  of  the  Con- 
ference should  be  carried  into  eifect,  the  Committee  took  the 
pains  to  procure  the  signatures  of  260  members  to  a  paper  in 
which  then*  wish  to  have  the  work  done,  was  expressed.  This 
procedure  gave  great  umbrage  to  the  preacher.  He  whose  will 
had  heretofore  been  considered  as  law,  to  have  that  will  contra- 
dicted was  a  high  offence^  What  was  it  to  him  whether  the 
'inembers  of  the  Church  wished  it  or  not,  he  did  not  choose  that  it 
should  be  done,  and  that  was  enough.  He  immediately  on 
receipt  of  this  document,  addressed  a  letter  to  the  committee, 
written  in  the  most  authorative  and  dictatorial  style.  In  that 
letter  he  stated  that  he  "  did  not  know  what  character  to  attribute 
to  the  document  sent  him,  whether  authoritative  as  the  voice  of 
the  Church  which  he  was  obliged  to  obey,  or  persuasive,  as 
evidence  of  the  wish  of  the  Church."  In  neither  character 
however  would  he  receive  it ;  nay,  he  "  felt  himself  bound  to 
disregard,  and  even  rebuke  it."  It  was  "a  precedent  of  unex- 
ampled evil  tendeiiCy."  What !  the  members  of  the  Church  to 
Use  "persuasive"  measures  even  to  him,  the  preacher,  to  alter  his 
views,  or  act  contrary  to  his  wishes  1  In  the  letter  of  the  com- 
mittee, it  was  remarked,  that  if  the  remonstrance  of  the  members 
was  treated  with  neglect,  they  feared  the  consequences  might  be 
seriousv  In  reply  to  this  remark,  he  observed,  "  I  know  not 
what  consequences  you  may  anticipate,  but  be  they  ichat  they 
may — I  must  beg  to  be  excused  the  consideration  of  them."  As 
much  as  if  he  had  said  my  will  is  law,  and  whatever  the  conse- 
tjuences  may  be,  that  will  shall  be  done.  In  this  letter  he  also 
asserted  that  a  hrge  proportion  of  the  signers  were  "  boys  and 


V 


T 


"^  .. 


girls,  minors."  Admittint^  this  to  be  the  case  ihey  were  member' 
of  the  Church,  and  had  a  ris^htto  express  tlieir  opinions  in  a  mat- 
ter in  which  all  were  interested.  Hut  tin;  fact  was  not  so,  the 
paper  was  siti^iied  by  some  of  the  oldest  members  in  the  Church  ; 
aud  the  committee  in  their  reply  challen^red  him  to  point  out  20 
minors  out  of  the  260  si;rMcri:,  and  surely  this  was  a  very  small 
proportion  ;  but  he  could  not  hud  even  that  mnnber. 

It  was  soon  apparent  that  th''  Trustees,  backed  by  the  preach- 
er, were  determined  that  nothinj^  should  be  done  to  prevent  thft 
great  evil  complained  of — the  intermixture  of  the  colored  persons 
among  tlie  whites — despite  of  the  wishes  of  the  members  on  the 
subject,  so  plainly  expressed.  The  connnittee  however  were  de- 
termined to  dj  all  that  lay  in  their  power  to  lun.c  the  resolutions 
of  the  Conference  carried  into  effect ;  they  theretbrc  addressed 
a  letter  to  the  Trustees,  enclosing  a  copy  of  the  resolutions.  In 
reply  to  this  letter  they  received  a  communication  from  the  Board 
containing  the  followins  resolutions  passed  by  them: — 

"  Resolved^  That  we  feel  willing  to  cairy  the  resolutions  of  the 
Quarterly  Meeting  Conference  into  ellect  as  directed,  but  state 
that  from  the  present  embarrassment  with  regai  d  to  their  funds, 
they  are  unable  to  have  the  alterations  made.  The  Trustees 
are  nearly  ,$3,000  in  debt  for  the  new  Parsonage — they  having 
put  all  the  means  they  possessed  already  in  requisition  to  raise 
funds,  and  that  they  have  with  great  diflTculty  been  able  to  pay  up 
the  instalments  in  the  Bank  as  they  become  due.  They  therefore 
most  earnestly  request  the  Quarterly  Conference  to  suspend  the" 
proposed  alterations  until  the  Trustees  shall  be  in  funds  to  meet 
the  expense." 

From  the  above  resolution  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Trustees 
professed  to  be  willing  to  make  the  proposed  alteration,  the  only 
difficulty  in  the  way  being  the  icant  of  fxinds. 

Supposing  they  meant  what  they  said  in  the  resolution,  the  com- 
mittee immediately  addressed  the  following  letter  to  the  individual 
who  had  signed  the  communication  as  Chairman  of  the  Boartl. 

Dear  Brother — Your  communication  is  received,  containing 
the  proceedings  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  at  a  meeting  held  on 
the  19th  iiist.  relative  to  the  resolutions  of  the  Quarterly  Confer- 
ence, which  we  had  the  honor  to  transmit  to  you.  We  rejoice  at 
the  expression  of  your  willingness  to  carry  the  resolutions  into 
effect,  and  notice  your  want  of  funds  necessary  to  do  so.  As  it 
is  quite  desirable  that  there  should  be  no  unnecessary  delny  in  the 
further  prosecution  of  this  business,  avc  will  place  in  your  hands 
One  hundred  dollars,  to  be  expended  in  making  the  requisite 
alterations,  which  amount  you  can  return  to  us  free  of  interest. 


whenever  the  state  of  your  funds  will  admit  of  your  doing  so. 
As  wc  have  the  utmost  confidence  in  the  Trustees,  we  require  no 
further  security  for  the  money  than  a  simple  acknowledgement 
from  your  Tieasurer  of  its  receipt.  Should  this  arrangement 
meet  your  views,  please  direct  your  Treasurer  to  call  on  the 
Chairman  of  this  Committee  for  the  money. 
We  are  Very  Respectfully. 

Thfe  Committee  were  of  opinion  that  this  wotild  o!)viate  every 
dilFiculty,  and  the  wishes  of  the  members  of  the  Church  would  be 
gratiiied  ;  but  were  much  surprised,  on  receiving  a  very  tart 
reply  from  the  individual  addressed,  couched  in  very  uncourteous 
language,  in  which  he  remarked  that  the  Conference  had  not 
direcied  the  Committee  to  borrow  money  for  the  Trustees  but 
to  procure  it  by  subscription.  They  immediately  commenced  a 
subscription,  and  soon  obtained  the  necessary  amount;  but  while 
waiting  lor  a  meeting  of  the  board — the  presiding  elder,  Rev. 
Henry  Bass,  having  promised  to  call  one,  and  inform  them  when 
it  would  be  held — they  unexpectedly  received  a  communication 
containing  the  proceedings  of  a  meeting  of  the  Board  at  which  the 
following  resolutions  were  passed: 

"  Resolved,  That  the  Board  believe  that  the  proposed  altera- 
tions will  tend  rather  to  injure  than  promote  the  welfare  of  the 
Church.  They  in  particular  believe  that  the  fences  across  the 
yard  will  invite  those  who  may  be  disposed  to  disturb  the  colored 
people,  to  do  so,  as  the  fences  will  screen  them  from  observation. 
Also,  as  the  boxes  were  partly  if  not  wholly  intended  for  the  ac- 
commodation of  the  infirm  and  lame  old  colored  people  who  were 
not  able  to  ^e.i  up  stairs,  by  taking  the  boxes  from  them,  they  will 
be  driven  from  the  Church  or  compelled  to  stay  out  of  doors. 
Therefore  it  would  be  very  desirable  to  the  Trustees  to  have  the 
Subject  reviewed  by  the  Quarterly  Meeting  Conference,  in  order 
to  arrange  some  plan,  that  might,  as  far  as  possible,  meet  the 
views  and  approbation  of  all  concerned. 

Resolved,  That  as  the  Board  of  Trustees  have  no  certain  in- 
formation of  the  amount  collecttsd  by  the  Coihmittee,  whether  it 
is  sufficient  to  meet  the  expense  of  the  alterations,  they  think  it 
most  prudent  not  to  commit  the  Church  or  themselves,  by  enga- 
ging to  have  the  work  done,  and  make  the  Church  liable  for  the 
deficiency,  should  there  be  any.  They  think  it  best  therefore  not 
to  interfere  with  the  Committees  arrangements." 

And  this  was  the  firet  intimation  given  by  the  Trustees  of  the  ex- 
istence of  any  such  objection  to  performing  the  work,  as  mentioned 
in  the  first  resolution;  and  it  was  the  first  time  that  one  word  was 
said  about  the  "infirm  and  lame  old  colored  people,"  although  37 


days  had  elapsed  since  the  resolutions  of  the  Cont'erende  were 
fiist  communicated  to  them  :  and  yet  Dr.  C.  endeavored  to  make 
it  appear  in  his  pamphlet,  that  this  was  the  objection  from  the  be* 
ginning,  and  intimates  very  broadly  that  the  Committee  knew  it. 

As  the  Committee  considered  thd  objedtidns  perfectly  futile, 
and  merely  intended  as  an  evasion  ;  and  that  the  Trustees  mie^ht 
have  "  certain  information  of  the  amount  collected  by  the  Com- 
mittee ;"  and  to  save  them  from  "committiiiuj  the  Church  or  them- 
selves," for  the  very  large  sum  which  would  be  necessary  to  do 
the  work  proposed,  they  immediately  addressed  the  following 
note  to  the  Board. 
The  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Methodist  J^piscopal  Church  : 

Gentlemen — In  accordance  with  the  instructions  of  the  Quar- 
terly Conference,  we  have  raised  a  subscription  to  procure  the 
money  required  to  carry  the  resolutions  into  effect  relative  to  the 
alterations  of  the  seats,  &c.  VVe  have  also  procured  the  enclosed 
estimate  for  performing  the  work,  and  we  are  prepared  to  pay 
over  to  you  sixty  dollars,  being  two  dollars  more  than  the  sum 
required. 

We  are,  Very  Respectfully. 

To  this  letter,  no  reply  was  ever  received  ;  it  was  therefore 
manifest  that  the  Trustees  were  determined  to  persist  in  opposing 
the  wishes  of  the  members,  which  induced  them  to  ascertain  if 
the  Trustees  were  really  an  irresponsible  body,  subject  to  no  con- 
trol. A  meeting  of  the  male  members  of  the  Church  was  called 
to  consider  upon  what  course  it  was  most  proper  to  pursue. — 
After  consultation  on  the  subject  it  was  determined  that  a  Com- 
mittee should  be  appointed  to  procure  a  meetinff  of  the  corpora- 
tion of  the  Church.  Dr.  C.  was  present,  and  spoke  at  some  length 
against  the  proposition.  He  admitted  that  for  many  years  past 
the  Trustees  had  been  very  refractory ;  that  somewhere  about 
the  year  1826  Bishop  McKendree  had  had  a  conference  with  them 
in  order  to  induce  them  to  acknowledge  their  responsibility  to  the 
Quarterly  Conference;  that  they  had  refused  to  do  so,  alledging  that 
they  were  subject  to  the  Corporation  of  the  Church,  and  to  that 
body  alone;  that  in  consequence  of  this  obstinacy  on  their  part  he 
(Dr.  C.)  had  introduced  a  resolution  into  the  General  Confer- 
ence, making  the  Trustees  responsible  to  the  Quarterly  Confer- 
ence, and  he  hoped  that  responsibility  would  not  be  changed ; 
indeed  he  doubted  whether  the  Corporation  was  alive — in  conse- 
quence of  its  never  having  acted  as  a  Corporation — forgetingthat 
several  years  since  he  himself  had  called  a  meeting  of  the  Corpo- 
ration, and  presided  over  it,  at  which  high  and  important  acts 
were  performed,     in  reply  it  was  stated  that  the  Trustees  had  re- 


fused  to  be  responsible  to  tbe  Quarterly  Conference,  and  he  was 
reminded  of  a  circumstance  which  occurred  while  he  was  presi- 
ding; elder  of  the  district,  and  by  virtue  of  that  office.  President  of 
the  Quarterly  Conference.  The  Trustees  had  been  called  on  for 
a  report  of  their  acts,  during  the  preceding  year,  in  accordance 
with  the  provision  of  the  discipline  to  %vhich  he  had  just  adverted , 
that  a  leading;  member  of  the  Board  denied  their  responsibility 
to  that  body,  or  their  right  to  call  for  a  report,  and  when  the  dis- 
cipline was  read  in  which  it  was  made  their  duty  to  report,  the 
Treasurer  of  the  Board  arose  with  a  piece  of  paper  in  his  hand, 
about  two  inches  square,  on  which  was  written  in  pencil,  "  balance 
of  cash  on  hand  $— ,"(the  amount  not  recollected)  observing"  this 
is  the  report  of  the  Board."  Such  conduct  was  considered  insult- 
ing to  the  Conference,  and  a  member  moved  that  the  Trustees  be 
compelled  to  report  their  acts.  This  motion  was  overruled  by  the 
President  himself  observing,  (notwithstanding  the  clause  of  the  dis- 
cipline which  he  had  procured  to  be  inserted)  that  the  Confer- 
ence did  not  possess  the  power  to  compel  them.  It  was  also 
stated  that  the  Board  had  continued  to  manifest  the  same  deter- 
mination not  to  be  subject  to  the  Quarterly  Conference,  in  as 
much  as  they  had  refused,  or  neglected,  to  report  their  acts.  It 
was  true  that  on  one  or  two  occasions,  the  Treasurer  of  the  Board 
had  presented  a  paj^er  to  the  Conference,  purporting  to  be  a 
statement  of  his  cash  transactions  during  the  year,  but  that  it  was 
an  unofficial  paper  and  could  not  possibly  be  regarded  as  a  report 
of  the  acts  of  the  Board.  Dr.  C  readily  admitted  that  the  Board 
never  had  made  a  proper  report,  but  attributed  the  neglect  to  their 
ignorance  of  jthe  mode  of  making  one,  and  not  to  their  unwilling- 
ness to  do  so.  The  members  would  not  dispute  the  reason,  but 
maintained  the  existence  of  the  fact ;  and  consequently  the  entire 
ignorance  of  the  members  of  the  Church  of  the  acts  of  the  Trus- 
tees, or  of  the  situation  of  the  Church  property. 

It  was  finally  determined  that  a  meeting  of  the  Corporation 
should  be  called,  and  a  Committee  was  appointed  to  procure 
©ne.  They  accordingly  waited  upon  the  preacher,  and  presented 
him  with  a  copy  of  the  resolution,  and  requested  him  to  call  a 
meeting  of  the  Corporation.  He  received  and  read  the  paper, 
and  had  a  long  conference  with  the  Committee  on  the  subject, 
and  concluded  by  requesting  that  time  might  be  allowed  for  him  to 
communicate  with  the  presiding  elder  on  the  subject.  This  was 
readily  and  cheerfully  granted,  and  nothing  more  was  heard  from 
him  until  an  evening  or  two  after,  at  the  monthly  society  meeting 
Dr.  C  announced  that  in  compliance  with  the  request  of  a  large 
number  of  the  members,  a  meeting  of  the  male  members  of  the 


Clmrch  over  21  years  of  ai^e,  woulflb.^]ici<l  at  Trinity  Church  on 
the  Wednesday  evening  following.  Accordingly  the  meeting  took 
place  at  the  appainted  time,  (which  was  the  12»h  of  Nov.  1833.) 
The  meeting  was  opened  with  prayer  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Bass, 
(the  presiding  elder,)  and  it  was  proposed  by  Dr.  C.  that  a  Secre- 
tary be  appointed.  A  Brother  remarked  that  it  would  be  pi-oper 
first  to  choose  a  Chairman  ;  and  nominated  the  Kev.  Mr.  Bass. 
Dr.  C  immediately  objected  to  the  prt)position,  saying  that  Mr. 
Bass  had  the  right  to  preside  by  virtue  of  liis  office  ;  that  it  wag 
not  a  Corporation  meeting,  but  simply  a  meeting  of  the  male 
members  of  age.  He  was  asked  if  he  did  not  give  notice  publicly 
that  the  meeting  was  called  at  the  request  of  a  previous  meeting 
of  the  members  communicated  to  him  in  writing,  in  which  it  was 
expressly  mentioned  that  the  meeting  now  held  should  be  a  Cor- 
poration meeting.  He  denied  that  the  paper  expressed  amj  snch 
Uiing.  He  was  called  upon  to  read  it,  when  he  immediately 
arose,  and  said  he  would  do  so,  sneeringly  remarking,  "  the  bro- 
ther will  soon  see  that  he  is  mistaken."  He  commenced  reading 
the   paper,  which  was  as  follows  : — 

"  Whereas,  the  temporal  affairs  of  the  Church  in  this  city  are 
in  such  a  state,  as  to  require  the  immediate  action  of  the  member- 
ship, therefore  resolved  that  a  Committee  be  appointed  with  in- 
structions to  procure  a  meeting  of  the  Church  in  its  corporate  ca- 
pacity, and  that  they  take  such  measures  as  will  be  effectual  in 
attaining  this  object,  in  order  that  the  Church  may  consider  the 
propriety  of  adopting  such  measures,  with  regard  to  temporalities, 
as  may  to  them  appear  most  expedient." 

In  reading  this  paper  he  omitted  the  words  "  in  its  corporate 
capacity,"  and  then  triumphantly  exclaimed,  "  there  is  not  one 
word  of'  corporation  in  the  whole  paper."  A  brother  remarked 
that  there  must  be  some  mistake,  and  requested  that  the  paper  might 
be  read  again  ;  this  was  done,  the  reader  still  omitting  the  words 
"in  its  corporate  capacity,"  and  then  observed,  "brethren  I  read 
honestly,  if  any  one  doubts  it,  let  him  come  and  read  for  himself.'* 
The  Chairman  of  the  Committee  who  Iiad  presented  the  resolution 
arose  to  go  and  read  it,  conscious  that  either  it  was  not  the  paper 
which  he  had  given  the  preacher,  or  that  it  had  not  been  read  cor- 
rectly. 

The  preacher  perceiving  this  movement,  commenced  reading 
again,  and  then  read  the  words  which  he  had  previously  omitted, 
*'  in  its  corporate  capacity,"  observing  *'  I  care  not  what  it 
says,  I  did  not  call  a  corporation  meeting,"  and  immediately  sat 
down. 


Astonishment  was  depicted  on  every  countenance,  and  for  a  mo- 
ment or  two  a  deathlike  stilhiess  prevailed.  Such  conduct  needs 
no  comment.  VVe  simply  state  facts,  susceptible  of  the  most  irre- 
fragable cxidence.  A  long  controversy  ensued — the  preacher 
still  persisting  that  the  presiding  elder  had  the  right  to  preside  by 
viitue  of  his  oiFice,  and  the  members  maintaining  their  right  of 
electing  a  Chairman. 

It  may  seem  strange  to  a  casual  reader  why  there  should  be  any 
dispute  about  the  Chairman,  when  all  agreed  on  the  person  to 
preside.  It  is  necessary  therofdie  to  remaik,  that  the  object  of 
the  preacher  in  having  the  presiding  elder  to  preside  by  virtue  of  his 
office,  was  to  show  that  it  was  simply  a  Church  meeting,  and  not  a 
meeting  of  the  Corporation  :  but  the  members  maintained  their 
right  of  election,  in  order  that  it  might  be  a  legal  meeting  of  the 
Corporation,  which  they  had  requested  might  be  called. 

It  was  tlu'n  put  to  the  vote  of  the  meeting  whether  the  elder 
shouM  preside  by  virtue  of  his  office,  or  by  the  choice  of  the 
meeling,  when  the  latter  was  carried  by  an  overwhelming  vote  ; 
upon  which  Dr.  C  requested  that  the  meeting  should  be  dismiss- 
ed, which  the  presiding  elder  attempted  to  do,  without  consulting 
the  meeting,  by  going  to  prayer ;  after  which  the  preachers  and 
trustees  with  a  lew  of  the  members  retired.  Dr.  C.  calling  upon 
all  who  would  su|>i)ort  the  discipline  to  go  with  them.  A  large 
majoi-ity  however  remained  behind,  organized  the  meeting,  passed 
by-laws,  (the  si  me  published  by  Dr.  C.  in  his  pamphlet,  page 
18)  and  elected  Tiustees. 

Previously  to  this  meeting  a  report  had  been  industriously  cir- 
culated by  the  Trustees  that  the  object  of  the  leading  persons  in 
having  the  meeting  called,  was  to  eject  the  old  Trustees,  and  get 
into  office  themselves,  so  as  to  have  the  control  of  the  Church 
property.  To  prove  to  every  unprejudiced  mind  that  suoh  was 
not  the  fact,  but  that  their  sole  object  was  to  have  the  Trustees 
under  proper  control,  and  to  require  them  to  do  what  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Chuich  wished  should  be  done,  they  unanimously  re- 
elected the  old  board :  for  although  great  offence  had  been  given 
by  their  conduct,  the  members  were  willing  that  they  should  con- 
tinue to  act,  provided  they  were  subjected  to  a  proper  responsibili- 
ty ;  and  to  place  the  matter  beyond  all  dispute,  one  of  the  by-laws 
put  it  out  of  the  power  of  the  Trustees,  either  to  buy  or  sell  pro- 
perty, without  the  consent  of  twenty  five  members  (which  would 
be  a  fair  representation  of  the  Church)  who  should  be  annually 
elected  ;  and  this  was  the  reason  why  an  executive  Committee 
was  organized,  which  has  given  such  umbrage  to  thos«  who  are  so 
2 


10 

anxious  that  all  power  should  be  lodged  in   the  hands  of  a  few 
individuals. 

It  had  also  been  asserted,  that  another  object  the  leading  mcm- 
bei-s  had  in  view,  was  to  avail  themselves  of  the  power  granted 
by  the  Charter,  to  elect  ministers.  To  show  most  uneciuivocally 
that  no  such  object  was  intended,  the  fifth  article  was  introduced, 
which  recognizes  the  "  Hook  of  Discipline,"  as  the  rule  and  gov- 
erning principl(%  in  all  cases  not  particulaily  defnied  in  the  Hv- 
laws  ;  and  to  make  "assurance  doubly  sure,"  the  si.xth  article 
was  adopted,  which  prevents  an  alteration  of  the  rules,  except 
by  the  concurrence  of  a  majority  of  the  mend)ers  present  at  an 
Annual  meeting ;  and  nol  tlien,  unless  three  montfi's  public  notice 
of  such  alteration  had  been  previously  given.  And  now,  appeal- 
ing to  the  searcher  of  hearts  for  the  rectitude  of  our  intentions, 
we  ask  an  enlightened,  and  unprejudiced  public,  what  more  men 
could  possibly  have  done  to  evidence  that  they  were  not  actuated 
by  any  sinister  motives  ! 

The  Trustees  were  notified  of  their  election,  and  requested  to 
meet  and  organize  under  the  By-laws  of  the  Corporation.  But 
instead  of  doing  so,  they  sent  an  insulting  letter  to  the  Secretary, 
denying  the  right  of  the  Corporation  to  elect,  and  refusing  to  be 
subject  to  their  controul.  The  Corporation  therefore  met  again, 
and  elected  a  new  Board. 

But  the  preacher  was  not  disposed  to  remain  quiet,  and  submit 
to  the  action  of  the  Church  ;  and  why*?  Because  the  discipline 
provides  that  where  the  Church  is  not  incorporated,  the  preacher 
shall  appoint  Trustees,  and  in  case  of  a  vacancy  occurring,  he 
shall  have  the  power  to  nominate,  ;ind  the  remaining  Trustees 
shall  elect ;  and  the  old  I^oiml  had  adopted  a  By-law  making 
him  Chairman  of  the  Board  ex-ojjicio.  This  little  power  he 
was  unwilling  to  have  taken  from  him,  and  determined  rather 
than  do  so,  he  would  expel  every  member  of  the  Church,  who 
should  be  guilty  of  the  heinous  olli'uce  of  doing  what  was  calcu- 
lated to  lessen  his  power.  He  contended  that  the  discipline  vests 
all  power  in  the  hands  of  the  ])reachers,  and  that  any  action  on  the 
part  of  the  members  would  subject  them  to  expulsion  for  "  diso- 
bedience to  the  order  and  discipline  of  the  Church."  It  was 
maintained  by  the  members  that  the  discipline  gave  to  them  the 
right  of  acting  where  the  Church  is  incorporated,  and  appealed 
to  the  book  itself  in  support  of  their  claim.  The  clause  runs 
thus  : — "The  Board  of  Trustees  of  every  circuit  or  station  shall 
be  responsible  to  the  Quarterly  Meeting  Conference  of  said  cir- 
cuit or  station,  and  shall  be  required  to  present  a  report  of  its  acts 
during  the  preceding  year  :     Provided  that  in  all  cases,  when  a 


11 

new  Bonrd  of  Trustees  is  to  be  created,  it  shall  be  done  (except  in 
those  slates  and  territories  where  the  statutes  provide  differently)  by 
the  appointment  of  the  preacher  in  chai-ge,  or  the  presiding  elder 
of  the  district." 

The  members  contended  tliat  the  "statutes"  had  "provided 
ditferently  "  in  the  case  of  the  Charleston  Church,  as  in  the  act 
of  incorporation  the  power  is  expressly  given  to  elect  officers. 
The  preacher  however  chose  to  construe  it  in  a  different  light, 
and  demanded  of  several  of  the  leading  members,  either  to  sign 
a  paper  abjuring  all  their  acts,  and  jn-omisingto  take  no  further 
steps  in  the  premises,  or  be  cited  to  tiial.  The  proposition  to 
sign  such  a  paper  was  indignantly  rejected,  when  nine  members 
received  citations  to  answer  to  the  charge  of  "disobedience  to 
the  order  and  discipline  of  the  Church." 

The  accused  demanded  a  trial  before  the  Society,  the  disci- 
pline giving  them  the  undoubted  right  to  do  so,  (See  Discipline, 
page  87  Ed.  1828,)  where  the  question  is  asked,  "  How  shall  an 
accused  member  be  brought  to  trial?  Answer.  "Before  the 
Society  of  which  he  is  a  member,  or  a  select  number  of  them;" 
And  in  the  section  in  which  the  powers  of  the  General  Confer- 
ence are  restricted,  it  is  said,  they  (the  General  Conference)  shall 
not  have  the  power  to  "do  way  the  privileges  of  the  members  of 
trial  before  the  Society,  or  by  a  Committee,"  (See  Disp.  p.  21.) 
They  prefei-red  being  tried  before  the  Society,  as  they  were  unwil- 
ling to  trust  themselves  to  the  tender  mercies  of  such  men  as  the 
preacher  might  choose  to  select ;  but  the  preacher  knew  full  well 
that  if  this  was  allowed,  he  must  be  defeated,  and  therefore  refused 
them  this  right,  saying  that  it  would  be  "  a  precedent  of  evil  ten- 
dency," and  that  he  did  not  "  tind  either  in  the  discipline,  or  the 
usages  of  the  Church,  that  the  persons  cited  to  trial,  have  ever 
been  considered  entitled  to  determine  for  themselves  whether  the 
Society  or  a  select  number  should  be  their  triers  ;"  they  were 
therefore  summoned  to  appear  before  a  Committee  chosen  by 
himself. 

On  the  evening  previous  to  the  day  appointed  for  trial,  he  re- 
quested a  meeting  of  the  nine  persons  who  had  been  cited ;  they 
met,  and  he  fully  evidenced  both  by  his  conduct  and  words,  that 
he  thought  he  had  gone  too  far,  and  wished  to  stay  proceedings. 
He  wept,  and  prayed,  and  talked  for  an  hour,  to  induce  them  to 
sign  a  paper  by  which  they  should  agree  to  submit  the  question 
of  the  existence  of  the  Corporation  to  the  decision  of  the  Appeal 
Judges ;  and  the  question  of  discipline  to  the  Bishops  of  the 
Church.  The  bretlnen,  fearful  that  a  compliance  with  his  re- 
quest, though  reasonable  enough  in  itself,  might  be  construed 


1% 

mto  a  fear  on  th»;ir  part  of  standing  a  trial,  steadily  refused  to 
sign  the  paper  ;  but  the  preacher,  pledixiiig  his  faith  as  a  Chris- 
tian, and  his  honor  as  a  man,  tliat  he  would  publicly  state  in  the 
Society  meeting  that  their  con)pliance  was  s-okly  occasioned  from 
regard  to  his  feelings,  and  at  his  earnest  request,  consented  to  sign 
the  paper,  and  the  citations  %veie  withdrawn. 

In  January  following  a  coinniittfc  of  each  party  was  appointed 
to  consult  two  gentlemen  of  dn'  b;u,  on  the  subject  of  carrying 
up  the  question  of  the  existence  of  the  charter  for  adjudication, 
before  the  Judges  of  the  Apj^eal  Court;  but  they  ascertained 
that  this  could  not  be  done  without  the  case  first  being  tried  before 
a  lower  Court.  This  course  the  preacher  was  not  willing  should 
be  pursued,  as  he  was  opposed  to  a  litigated  suit ;  and  as  he  had 
neglected  to  comply  with  his  promise,  so  sacredly  given,  to  state 
the  reasons  why  the  brethren  had  consented  to  the  anfingemcnt 
proposed  by  him;  and  reports  having  been  industiiously  circulated, 
that  they  had  been  frightened  into  a  e()nii)liaiice,  they  considered 
themselves  entirely  exonerated  from  the  agreement,  of  which  they 
gave  notice  to  the  preacher,  and  requested  that  the  papei'  con- 
taining their  signatures  might  be  retnined.  He  replied  that  if  lie 
had  done  wrong  in  not  complying  with  his  promise  he  was  sorry 
for  it,  but  declined  returning  the  paper. 

Things  remained  in  this  state  until  the  Quarterly  Conference 
met ;  at  this  meeting  the  Tieasurer  of  the  old  Board  of  Trustees 
arose,  and  in  what  he  intended  should  be  a  very  imposing  man- 
ner, stated  that  he  had  a  report  of  the  Board  to  present  to  the 
Conference,  and  would  read  it.  This  was  done  to  weaken  the 
charge  repeatedly  made  against  them  of  refusing  to  rej.ort.  He 
pulled  a  paper  out  ol  his  pocket  and  commenced  r-eading, 

"  Dr.  The  Board  of  Trustees  in  account  with  ?.  J.  Wac- 
NER,  Treasurer," — and  went  on  to  say  that  he  had  received  and 
paid  away  certain  sums  of  money  during  the  year.  This  paper 
was  without  a  signature  ;  and  if  it  had  one,  could  any  man  in  his 
senses  call  it  a  report  of  the  Trustees  ?  It  might  do  very  well  for 
a  report  of  the  Ti'easurer  to  the  Board,  but  certainly  it  was  no 
report  of  the  Board  to  the  Conference.  It  was  well  known  that 
the  Board  had  performed  some  very  impoi-tant  acts  during  the 
year,  such  as  selling  land,  pledging  Bank  stock,  building  houses, 
&c.  but  not  one  word  was  said  about  it ,  and  why  1  Because 
they  knew  full  well  that  their  acts  were  illegal,  and  they  did  not 
choose  to  report  them.  It  was  insisted  however  that  the  paper 
above  mentioned  was  the  report  of  the  Board,  and  it  was  accept- 
ed as  such  by  the  Conference  by  a  majority  of  one  vote — all 
the  preachers  and  old  Trustees  present  voting  in  the  affirmative. 


13 

When  it  was  objected  against  the  old  Trustees  being  allowed  to 
vote  on  the  adoption  of  their  own  report,  if  indeed  it  was  one,  it 
was  replied  that  they  voted  as  class  leaders,  and  not  as  Trustees. 

At  this  Conference  a  resolution  was  oftbred  by  the  leading  man 
of  the  old  Hoard  of  Trustees,  and  a  plan  submitted  for  so  altering 
the  seats  as  to  prevent  the  Colored  persons  from  sitting  among 
the  whites.  The  Corporation  members  made  no  objection  to  the 
plan,  so  long  as  the  object  which  they  all  along  had  in  view  was 
effected,  and  it  was  unanimously  adopted  ;  this  was  in  the  early 
part  of  January,  but  the  very  first  step  toward  carrying  it  into 
execution  has  not  yet  been  taken,  which  clearly  proves  that  the 
plan  was  submitted  with  the  hope  that  it  would  be  rejected,  and 
thus  leave  them  some  jrround  to  stand  upon  ;  but  all  their  fond 
expectations  were  put  to  flight  by  the  unanimous  acquiescence 
of  the  Conference,  and  nothing  more  has  since  been  heard  of  it. 
This  was  at  what  is  called  the  4th  Quarterly  Conference.  At 
the  first  Quarterly  Conference  of  the  present  year  a  motion  was 
made  that  a  Committee  be  appointed  to  examine  the  books  of 
the  old  Trustees,  and  report  to  the  Conference.  This  was  im- 
mediately objected  to  by  the  principal  member  of  the  Board,  and 
the  objpcfion  sustained  by  the  President,  Mr.  Bass,  who  declared 
the  motion  to  be  out  of  order,  and  refused  to  put  it  to  the  vote  of 
the  meeting.  Was  such  a  thing  ever  heard  of  before  *?  A  mo- 
tion for  examination  into  the  fiscal  affairs  of  the  Church  out  of 
order !  We  wonder  where  the  President  obtained  his  ideas 
of  order  !  But  is  it  not  passing  strange  that  men  conscious  of 
the  recfitude  of  their  conduct  (as  the  old  Trustees  pretend  to  be) 
and  the  legality  of  their  acts,  should  oppose  an  investigation 
which  must  result  in  the  establishment  of  their  innocence,  if  in- 
deed they  had  done  nothing  wrong  1  We  leave  the  reader  to 
draw  his  own  inferences  ;  the  fact  we  avouch  to  be  true. 

Early  in  the  month  of  February,  the  session  of  the  Annual 
Conference  commenced  in  this  city.  Immediately  on  the  arrival 
of  Bishops  Andrew  and  Emory,  an  interview  with  them  was  re- 
quested by  the  new  Board  of  Trustees,  at  which  a  brief  state- 
ment of  the  affairs  of  the  Church  was  made,  and  the  opinions  of 
several  learned  gentlemen  of  the  bar  on  the  subject  of  the  exis- 
tence of  the  Corporation  (which  was  disputed  by  the  old  Trus- 
tees,) submitted  for  their  inspection.  Frequent  interviews  took 
place  from  that  time  until  nearly  a  week  subsequent  to  the  ad- 
journment of  the  Conference,  between  Bishop  Emory  and  both 
parties,  in  which  he  laboured  to  reconcile  the  existing  difficulties 
and  induce  an  amicable  arrangement.  In  one  of  these  interviews 
be  declared  in  the  presence  of  counsel,  that  the  fact  of  the  Church 


14 

beiner  incorporated  was  not  contrary  to  discipline  ;  and  that  in 
many  places  where  Churches  are  incorporated,  the  ni<  inhers 
elect  the  Trustees  ;  though  he  carelully  ahstained,  and  very 
properly  too,  from  giving  any  oj)inion  on  the  questions  in  dis|)Ute 
nere.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  14th  of  February  he  sent  for  the 
Chairman  and  Secretary  of  the  new  Board  of  Trustees,  who  had 
on  several  occasions  represented  the  Corporation  party,  and  an 
interview  took  place  in  the  presence  of  the  Kev.  Mr.  Bass,  the 
Presiding  Elder,  and  the  Kev.  Mr.  Kennedy,  the  preacher  in 
charge.  Tiie  Bishop  regreted  that  Ik;  had  not  yet  been  able  to 
effect  a  reconciliation  of  the  existing  difliculties,  but  stated  that 
he  had  thought  of  a  plan  which  would  probablj^  meet  the  views 
of  both  parties ;  which  was  that  it  should  be  submitted  to  the 
decision  of  the  Bishops  generally,  whether  the  discipline  admitted 
of  the  incorporation  of  Churches,  and  the  election  of  Trustees 
by  the  members  ;  and  that  a  suspension  of  all  action  by  both 
parties  should  take  place  until  that  decision  <vas  known.  To 
this  the  brethren  cheerfully  consented  ;  both  of  the  Ministers 
were  asked  if  this  arrangement  met  their  approbation,  and  they 
both  answered  in  the  aifirmative.  The  Sunilay  morning  follow- 
ing they  again  waited  upon  the  Bishop,  by  his  invitation,  when  he 
read  to  them  a  paper  which  was  intended  as  a  basis  for  the  settle- 
ment of  the  existing  difliculties.  The  paper  stated  that  it  shouM 
be  submitted  to  the  decision  of  all  the  Bishops  : — 1st,  Whether  it 
was  consistent  with  the  discipline  for  a  Chuich  to  be  incorporated, 
and  2d,  If  it  was,  had  the  members  the  right  to  elect  trustees  ?  If 
these  questions  were  decided  in  the  negative,  the  Corporation  |)ar- 
ty  to  agree  to  abandon  the  ground  which  they  occupied.  If  they 
decided  in  the  affirmative,  then  a  joint  application  to  be  made  to 
the  Legislature  to  alter  the  Charter,  so  that  the  members  might 
not  have  the  power  to  elect  their  ministers,  which  would  be  in 
contravention  of  the  itineiant  system,  and  which  it  was  pre- 
tended was  the  grand  cause  of  the  opposition  of  the  Preachers, 
and  the  old  Trustees, 

This  proposition  was  cheerfully  agreed  to  by  the  gentlemen 
who  represented  the  Corporation  j)arty.  The  Bishop  then  stated 
that  he  had  requested  the  ministers  to  invite  a  general  attendance 
of  the  members  that  morning  at  Trinity  Church,  after  public 
service,  when  he  would  submit  the  proposition  to  the  whole 
Church.  He  did  sul)mit  it ;  no  objection  was  made  by  a  single 
individual,  several  of  the  old  Ti  ustees  being  present,  and  the  next 
day  the  Bishop  left  the  city,  promising  to  ol)tain  the  opinion  of  his 
colleagues  on  the  questions  submitted  as  soon  as  possible,  and 
forward  them  ;    having   previously  observed  to  the  gentlemen 


15 

above  mentioned,  when  asked  what  security  they  had  that  the  old 
Trustees  would  agree  to  the  arrangement,  that  when  the  decis- 
ion was  obtained,  he  would  write  to  the  Presiding  Elder,  and 
preacher  in  charge,  with  instructions  to  enforce  the  discipline  ; 
by  which  we  certainly  understood  him  to  mean  that  whoever  re- 
fused to  submit  to  that  decision  should  be  expelled  from  the 
Church.     The  time  limited  by  himself  when  we  might  expect  to 
hear  from  him  was  two  months,  and  it  was  expressly  understood 
that  action  should  i)e  suspended  by  both  parties,  and  nothing  done 
save  the  ordinary  Ijusiiiess  of  the  Church  until  he  should  be  heard 
from.    Recently  we  have  understood  that  the  old  Board  of  Trus- 
tees deny  having  acceded  to  the  proposition.     We  would  ask  * 
then  who  did  accede  1     It  has  already  been  stated  that  two  in-             4 
di\  itluals  had  agreed  in  behalf  of  the  Corporation  party,  and  that             L 
two  of  the  j)reachers,  one  of  whom  was  the   Chairman  of  the 
old  Board  of  Trustees  had  also  given  their  assent  to  it.     Now,  if            • 
one  party  considered  themselves  pledged  because  two  members             2 
had  agreed  to  the  proposal,  ought  we  not  in  all  conscience  to             * 
suppose  that  the  other  party  should  be  bound  by  the  agreement             - 
of  the  preachers?     If  the  proposition  of  the  Bishop  did  not  meet            # 
the  views  of  the  old  Trustees  why  did  they  not  say  so  at  the  time            | 
he  publicly  read  it  1                                                                                      * 

After  a  lapse  of  more  than  three  months,  it  was  ascertained 
that  the  old  Trustees  were  performing  very  important  acts,  such  I 

as  the  sale  of  property, "  &c.  and  at  a  meeting  of  a  number  of  y^ 

the  members  it  was  determined  that  a  letter  should  be  written  to  '" 

the  Bishop  informing  him  of  these  facts,  and  requesting  him  to 
forward  the  decision.  This  was  done  ;  and  after  some  consid- 
erable time  had  elapsed,  a  letter  was  received  from  the  Bishop  bj 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Kemiedy,  who  had  frequently  expressed  his  aston*- 
ishment  at  the  Bishop's  not  sending  on  the  decision,  in  which  he 
intimated  that  he  had  obtained  the  decision  of  his  colleagues,  but 
in  consequence  of  having  received  a  letter  from  the  old  Board  of 
Trustees  officially  notifying  him  that  they  did  not  approve  of  the 
arrangement,  he  thought  it  unnecessary  to  forward  it.  This  in- 
formation surprised  the  members  of  the  Corporation  very  much, 
and  they  felt  indignant  at  the  duplicity  of  those  in  whose  promises 
they  had  confided  :  a  meeting  was  called  at  which  the  following 
resolutions  were  adopted. 

"  Whereas,  a  letter  has  been  received  in  this  city  from  the 
Rev.  Bishop  Emory,  from  which  it  appears  that  a  communication 
was  made  to  him  sometime  in  April  last,  by  the  late  Board  of 
Trustees,  iu  which  they  state  their  disapproval  of  the  paper  read 


16 

in  Trinity  Church  by  the  said  Bishop  on  the  IGrh  February  last, 
as  a  basis  for  an  adjustment  of  our  Church  difficuhits  ;  therefore, 
Be  it  Resolved,  That  the  promise  made  by  us  to  agree  to  the 
arrangement  stated  in  the  above  mentioned  paper,  is  no  longer 
binding  on  us ;  inasmuch  as  the  promise  wiis  made  conditionally 
that  the  late  Trustees  agree  fikewise. 

Resolved,  That  the  refusal  of  the  late  Trustees  to  accede  to 
the  propositions  contained  in  said  paper,  is  additional  evidence  of 
their  determination  to  manage  the  temporalities  of  the  Church 
according  to  their  own  discretion,  without  controul,  at  all  haz- 
ards, whether  in  conformity  to,  or  in  direct  violation  of  the  disci- 
pline. 

Resolved,  That  we  will  not  hereafter  agree  to  any  ])ro|)osal  of 
accommodation,  come  from  what  quarter  it  may,  th;it  is  not  based 
upon  the  Constitution  and  By-laws  of  the  Corporation. 

Resolved,  That  we  will  not  any  longer  sutler  our  rights  as 
f  members  ot"  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church   to  be  trampled 

^  upon,  or  action  on  our  part  suspended  by  unmeaning  oIRm's  of  ac- 

j     ^  commodation  ;  but  will  |)ursue  all  proper  methods,  whether  in 

4  Church,  in  law,  or  in  equity,  as  may  appear  to  us  most  expedient 

i    I  for  obtaining  those  rights  ;  provided  the  same  be  not  a  palpable 

"^  >v'  violation  of  discipline." 

V  Previously  however  to  the  receipt  of  the  Bishop's  letter,  and 

"     i  after  it  had  been  ascertained  that  the  Trustees  were  pledging  and 

i^  selling  Bank  Stock,  it  was  determined  by  a  meeting  of  the  mem- 

.    J  bers  that  a  committee  should  be  appointed  to  prefer  charges 

I  1  ^  against  the  individuals  composing  the  old  Board  of  Tiustees  for 

I   A    •  breach  of  faith  and  immoral  conduct.     The  circumstances  which 

C   I  gave  rise  to  the  adoption  of  this  course  were  as  follows  : — 

^   B  ,x*  Some  years  since  a  lady  of  this  city  remarkable  for  her  benev- 

■*#    I  olence,  had  made  application  t )  the  Rev.  W.  M.  Kennedy,  who 

3    f  was  at  that  time  preacher  in  charge  on  this  station,  for  divine 

service  to  be  performed  in  the  Poor  House  of  this  city  ;  as  a 
compensation  for  which,  she  promised  to  give  for  the  support  ol 
the  ministry,  One  hundred  dollars  annually.  The  offer  was  ac- 
cepted, and  for  several  years  during  her  life,  the  money  was 
punctually  paid.  When  she  was  about  to  die,  desirous  of  per- 
>J     \  petuating  this  payment,  she  bequeathed  twenty  shares  in  the  State 

1    i  Bank  of  this  city  to  the  Church,  in  the  following  words : — "  I 

'^  *  give  aO  Shares  which  I  have  in  the  State  Bank  to  the  Elders  and 

Trustees  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  this  City  for  the 
use  and  benefit  of  the  ministers  of  said  Church."  The  dividends 
arising  from  this  stock  had  been  constantly  applied  towards  the 
payment  of  the  salaries  of  the  preachers  on  this  station,  until 


i 


IT 

some  time  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  year,  the  Trustees 
undertook  to  sell  it,  to  defray  a  debt  incurred  by  them  on  account 
of  the  Church.  This  was  considered  a  violation  of  the  conti'act 
entered  into  with  the  Bishop,  and  an  immoral  act,  inasmuch  as 
it  was  disposing  of  shares,  kiiowii  to  be  bequeathed  for  the  pay- 
ment of  a  preacher,  who  should  perform  divine  service  in  the 
Poor  House. 

Accordingly  charges  were  regularly  drawn  out,  and  presented 
to  Ml'.  Kennedy,  the  preacher  in  charge,  but  he  refused  to  re- 
ceive them  on  the  ground  that  the  acts  complained  of  were  done 
by  the  Trustees  in  their  official  character,  and  they  could  not  be 
tried  as  individuals  ;  that  as  Trustees  they  were  amenable  to  the 
Quarterly  Conference,  and  suggesting  the  propriety  of  prosecut- 
ing the  charges  before  that  body.  In  compliance  with  his  sugges- 
tion it  was  determined  to  pursue  this  course.  Charges  and  spe- 
cifications made  out  in  the  most  formal  manner  were  presented  to 
the  preacher  by  the  Committee,  signed  by  the  Chairman  and 
countersigned  by  the  Secretary  of  the  meeting,  with  a  request 
that  they  might  be  presented  at  the  meeting  of  the  Quarterly 
Conference. 

The  charges  were  as  follows : — Charges  and  Specifications 
preferred  against  Samuel  J.  Wagner,  Abel  McKee,  Henry 
Muclcenfuss,  Samuel  Seyle,  George  Just,  George  Chreitzburg 
and  William  Bird,  acting  as  Trustees  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  of  Charleston,  S.  C. 

Charge  1st. — Breach  of  Trust,  and  Contempt  of  the  Quar- 
terly Meeting  Conference. 

Specijication  \st. — That  they  the  said  *  *  *  *  *  *  acting  as 
Trustees  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Charleston  did 
sometime  in  the  past  year  sell  to  Wm.  B.  Clark  (a  colored  man) 
fifteen  feet  front  and  One  hundred  feet  deep  of  land,  being  part 
of  the  original  lot  of  ground  on  which  the  Methodist  Parsonage 
now  stands,  contrary  to  the  letter  and  spiiit  of  the  Discipline,  and 
of  the  deed  creating  the  trust  in  this  case. 

Spedjkation  2(1. — Disposing  of  three  hundred  dollars,  bequeath- 
ed by  Mrs.  Elizabeth  King  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
aforesaid,  without  having  first  applied  to  the  Quarterly  Meeting 
Conference  for  instruction,  in  accordance  with  their  own  By- 
laws ;  thereby  violating  their  own  regulations,  treating  the  Quar- 
terly Meeting  Conference  with  contempt,  and  virtually  denying 
the  right  of  controul  by  the  Conference,  or  any  known  authority 
m  the  Church. 

Charge  2d.-— Breach  of  Faith. 
3 


18 

Specificat'ion. — That  the  said  ******  acting  as  Trus- 
tees aforesaid,  did  sometime  in  the  present  year,  perl'orm  sundry 
acts  of  high  importance  to  the  interests  of  the  Church,  su'  ii  as 
pledging  and  selling  certain  Shares  of  the  State  Bank  Stock,  con- 
trary to  the  intention  of  the  donor  iMrs.  Gregoric,  and  in  violation 
of  the  plighted  faith  of  the  Church  to  Bishop  Emory,  that  no  oflic- 
ial  act  of  a  temporal  nature  (ordinary  duties  excepted)  should  be 
performed  until  the  decision  of  the  Bishops  on  the  questions  re- 
fered  to  them  was  known  here,  (the  decision  not  liaving  been 
known  here  at  the  time.) 

Charge  3d. — Immoral  and  Unchristian  conduct. 

Specjjication  \st. — That  they  the  said  *  *****  acting  as 
Trustees  aforesaid  did  sometime  in  the  month  of  April  or  May  last 
sell  ten  Shares  of  the  State  Bank  Stock  ostensibly  for  the  pay- 
ment of  debts  due  by  the  Church,  thereby  violating  a  trust,  the 
said  Shares  having  been  demised  by  the  late  Mrs.  Gregorie  to 
Trustees  in  trust  for  a  specified  object,  viz.  the  benefit  or  sup- 
port of  the  ministei-s  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in 
Charleston. 

Specification  2d. — That  they  the  said  *  *  *  *  *  *  acting  as 
Trustees  aforesaid,  did  sometime  in  the  present  year,  pledge  ten 
Shares  of  State  Bank  Stock  on  a  loan  of  money  and  did  sell  ten 
other  Shares  of  the  same  Stock,  being  twenty  Shares  demised 
by  the  said  Mrs.  Gregorie  to  Trustees  in  trust  for  the  benefit  of 
the  Ministers  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  this  city, 
and  known  to  be  designed  as  a  permanent  fund  to  aid  in  the  sup- 
port of  the  said  Ministers,  and  to  secure  the  continued  weekly 
performance  of  religious  services  in  the  Poor  House  of  this  city, 
thereby  perverting  specified  uses  and  benefits,  contemning  the 
obligation  of  trusts,  abstracting  from  the  resources  of  the  Stew- 
ards fund,  and  inflicting  a  deep  injury  on  the  character  and  in- 
terests of  the  Society  by  destroying  public  confidence  in  them." 

When  the  Conference  met,  the  preacher  in  charge,  Mr.  Ken- 
nedy, presented  the  paper  to  the  President,  Mr.  Bass,  saying  that 
it  contained  complaints  against  some  of  the  members  of  the  Con- 
ference, but  he  did  not  know  who  prefered  them.  The  Presi- 
dent was  requested  to  read  the  paper  that  the  Conference  might 
know  what  it  contained.  This  he  refused  .0  do,  saying  it  con- 
tained charges,  but  as  he  did  not  know  who  prefered  them  he 
would  not  read  them.  He  was  asked  if  they  were  not  signed — 
his  reply  was  that  there  were  two  names  appended  as  Chairman 
and  Secretary,  but  he  knew  nothing  about  the  meeting  at  which 
they  acted  as  such  ;  the  names  of  the  persons  composing  it  were 


19 

not  there.  Mr.  Kennedy  was  then  asked  if  the  paper  had  not 
been  presented  to  him  by  a  Committee  with  a  request  that  he 
would  present  it  to  the  Conference  in  their  name.  He  at  first 
denied,  but  afterward  admitted  that  such  was  the  fact.  A  mem- 
ber then  observed  that  the  Committee  were  waiting  in  the  next 
room,  and  moved  that  they  should  be  called  in.  This  was  refus- 
ed by  the  President,  who  declared  that  no  man  should  enter  that 
room  who  was  not  entitled  to  a  seat  m  the  Conference  ;  and  that  the 
case  should  not  be  tried  unless  the  charges  were  signed  by  all  the 
members  composing  the  meeting  which  appointed  the  Committee  to 
prefer  them.  A  preacher  arose  and  remarked,  that  he  had  reas- 
on to  believe  that  some  of  the  members  of  the  Conference  were 
present  at  the  meeting,  and  proposed  that  they  should  come  for- 
ward and  sign  the  charges.  The  evident  design  of  this  move- 
ment was  to  induce  a  number  of  the  members  of  the  Confer- 
ence to  become  the  accusers,  so  as  to  prevent  them  from  voting 
on  the  question,  and  thus  put  the  power  of  disposing  of  the  ques- 
tions into  the  hands  of  those  who  were  known  to  be  the  strong 
advocates  of  the  Trustees.  To  submit  the  question  to  the  decis- 
ion of  a  majority  of  the  Conference  they  dared  not,  as  they  were 
perfectly  aware  that  the  charges  could  too  easily  be  proved  for 
them  to  hope  for  an  acquittal,  unless  they  had  a  known  majority 
of  such  as  were  decidedly  favourable  to  them,  right  or  wrong; 
at  the  very  time  however  when  it  was  an  objection  in  the  mind  of 
the  preacher  to  try  the  case  because  he  supposed  it  possible  that 
some  of  the  members  of  the  Conference  were  present  at  the 
meeting  which  directed  the  charges  to  be  prefercd,  the  accused 
themselves  were  suffered  to  retain  their  seats,  and  speak,  and 
vote,  and  make  motions  ;  and  when  this  was  objected  to  by  a 
member  he  was  hooted  at. 

A  motion  was  made  by  one  preacher,  and  seconded  by  another 
that  the  President  should  decide,  without  debate,  whether  the 
charges  should  be  received  or  not,  and  without  putting  the  ques- 
tion to  the  Conference  for  their  approval,  or  disapproval,  he  de- 
termined that  they  should  not  be  received.  A  member  then  arose 
and  oflered  to  present  the  charges  in  his  own  name,  as  his  indi- 
vidual act,  and  conduct  the  prosecution,  which  was  refused  in  the 
most  peremptory  manner.  As  reports  have  been  circulated  that 
the  individual  who  offered  to  present  the  charges  in  his  own  name 
tore  them  up  in  a  passion,  it  is  proper  to  remark,  that  the  charges 
were  written  on  one  half  of  a  sheet  of  foolscnp  paper,  and  on 
the  other  half  was  written  the  certificate  of  the  Chairman  and 
Secretary  of  the  meeting  which  directed  the  charges  to  be  pre- 
fered  ;  and  as  the  President  of  the  Conference  had  determined 


20 

that  they  should  not  be  received  in  the  form  in  which  they  were 
presented,  he  lore  off  tliat  half  of  the  sheet  eontaming  the  Certifi- 
cate, and  otfered  to  prefer  the  charges  in  his  own  name  ;  and 
this  was  done  in  a  perfectly  cool  and  deliberate  manner,  his  ob- 
ject being  to  ascertain  if  it  had  not  been  predetermined  that  the 
chpri;es  should  not  be  received  in  .oj?/  shape.  At  this  stage  of 
the  nieeving  one  of  the  accused  requested  a  preacher  to  move  an 
adjournmenr,*which  was  immediately  done.  Finding  that  there 
was  no  hope  of  obtaining  justice,  and  that  the  preachers  were 
determined  to  skreen  the  Trustees  from  trial,  thirteen  members  of 
the  Coulerence  indignantly  left  the  room,  and  immediately  after 
resigned  their  classes.  Thus  ended  this  eventful  Quarterly  Con- 
ference, at  which  it  was  demonstrated,  beyond  the  shadow  of  a 
doubt,  that  all  power  is  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  ministry  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  that  the  membership  have  no 
rights  at  all  when  put  in  competition  with  the  will  of  the 
preachers. 

The  conference  was  held  on  the  11th  of  July,  and  on  the. 
Wednesday  following  the  Preacher  in   charge  called  a  general 
meeting  of  the  Church,  male  and  female.     At  this  meeting  he 
comnienced  reading  a  written  defence  of  the  Trustees,  without 
stating  what  the  charges  were  ;  he  having  both  before,  and  at 
the  commencement  of  the  meeting  declared  that  he  would  not 
defend   them.     Several  members  objected  to  the  unfairness  of 
this  procedure,  but  the  preacher  persisted  in  reading  it  to  an  end. 
Saying  to  those  who  objected  to  his  doing  so,  another  time,  breth- 
ren, another  time  ;  giving  them  to  understand  that  when  he  had 
finished,  they  should  be  heard.     After  he  had  tlnishcd,  a  member 
arose,  and  commenced  commenting  on  the  j)roceedii)gs  but  had 
proceeded  but  a  little  way,  when  one  of  the  Preachers  present 
was  urged  in  the  most  vehement  manner  to  sing  ;  accordingly 
while  the  brother  wjis  speaking,  the  Preacher  read  two  lines  of  a 
hymn,  and  the  others  commenced  singing  with  all  their  might, 
the  preacher  in  charge  commencing  the  tune,  so  as  ellectually  to 
drov/n  the  speaker's*  voice.     This  ungentlenianly,  not  to  say  im- 
christian  conduct,  was  resorted  to  as  the  only  means  of  prevent- 
ing the  members  from  hearing  a  fair  statement  of  the  questions 
at  issue  ;  and  so  indignant  were  a  large  number  of  the  members 
that  they  immediately  left  the  Church. 

Shortly  after  a  meeting  of  the  new  Board  of  Trustees  was  held, 
and  a  Committee  a])j)ointed,  to  wait  upon  the  preacher,  with  a 
request  that  he  would  caU  another  Church  meeting,  at  which  it 
was  proposed  that  the  charges  against  the  old  Trustees  should  be 
read,  and  the  proofs  in  support  of  them  adduced,  and  that  they 


21 


should  be  permitted  to  reply,  so  as  to  bring  the  whole  matter 
tail  iy  before  the  members  ;  and  in  order  to  prevent  confusion, 
it  was  farther  jiroposed  that  certain  persons  to  be  named  by  i^.ach 
party  should  take  part  in  the  proceedings,  and  none  others.  But 
this  also  was  positively  refused  by  the  preacher. 

The  new  Trustees  finding  that  every  effort  at  accommodation 
was  resisted,  and  that  there  was  no  lurther  hope  of  an  amicable 
adjustment,  determined  to  bring  the  question  before  a  court  of  law, 
antl  htvve  it  settled  in  that  way.  They  therefore  made  a  levy  for 
rent  upon  a  gentleman  -vho  had  leased  some  land  belonging  to 
the  Church,  and  who  had  been  forbidden  by  either  party  to  pay 
the  other  This  would  bring  up  the  question  of  right  before  the 
court,  and  it  would  be  legally  determined  whether  the  Church 
was  an  incorpoiation  or  not.  Great  eflbits  were  made  to  prevent 
this,  and  in  order  to  do  so,  it  was  determined  that  the  new  Trus- 
tees should  be  brought  to  trial  and  expelled  from  the  Church, 
before  the  court  met,  which  it  was  supposed  would  be  a  summary- 
way  of  getting  rid  of  the  difficultv'.  The  trial  before  the  court 
was  to  take  place  on  Tuesday  the"'29th  July,  at  10  o'clock,  A. 
M.  and  at  midday  on  Monday,  (the  day  previous)  citations  were 
issued  against  the  new  boord  of  Trustees,  to  appear  and  answer  to 
charges,  on  the  next  morning  at  9  o'clock,  which  would  anticipate 
the  meeting  of  the  court  one  hour.  The  following  is  a  copy  of 
the  charge  and  specifications: — 

*' DISOBEDIENCE  TO  THE  ORDER  AND  DISCIPLINE  OF  THE  CHURCH, 

Specijicatiai  1  st. — Taking  a  part  in  a  Meeting  calling  itself  the 
Church  in  its  Corporate  capacity,  and  which  assumes  the  right 
to  do  away  at  pleasure  the  order  and  modes  of  Management 
prescribed  by  the  Discipline — to  remove  from  office  its  Trustees, 
fill  their  places,  change  their  responsibility,  &c. 

Specification  2d. — Receiving  appointment  as  Trustees  under 
the  assumed  authority  of  said  meeting,  thus  organizing  a  Board 
for  the  transaction  of  the  business  of  the  Church  in  opposition 
to  the  Board  appointed  under  and  acknowledged  by  the  Disci- 
pline. 

Specification  Sd. — After  a  written  avowal  of  your  determma- 
tion  not  to  perform  any  acts  that  would  be  a  palpable  violation  of 
Discipline — and  after  having  received  from  the  Preacher  in 
Charge  a  Decision  declaring  the  course  you  have  adopted  to  be 
a  palpable  violation  of  Discipline  you  have  gone  to  law  with 
the  Trustees  by  levying  on  the  property  of  one  of  their  Tenants, 


22 

thus  giving  evidence  of  a  determination  to  |>ursue   your  own 
couree  in  defiance  of  the  Constituted  authority  ol  the  Clnnrli. 

VVm.     M.     KENNEDY,  Preacher  in  Charge. 
WILLIAM     MARTIN, 
G.     F.     PIERCE. 
Methodist  Parsonage,  July  28th  1834." 

Thus  the  preacher  decides  on  his  own  ipse  dixit  that  the  action 
of  the  Church  as  a  Corporation  is  a  palpable  violation  of  disci- 
pline, notwithstanding  a  large  number  of  the  members,  support- 
ed by  high  authority,  contend  that  it  is  not.  We  thought  a  pal- 
pable violation  must  be  evident  to  every  body. 

To  defeat  this  insidious  attempt  to  injure  the  characters  of  the 
accused,  the  three  preachers  on  the  station  were  subpoenaed  to 
attend  the  court,  and  in  the  mean  time  the  following  letter  was 
addressed  by  the  accused  to  the  preacher  in  charge  : — 
"Rev.  VVm.  M.  Kennedy  : 

Sir — The  undersigned  have  your  notification  to  attend  at  the 
parsonage  to-morrow  morning,  at  9  o'clock,  to  respond  to  a 
charge. 

You  are  perfectly  aware  that  we  are  business  men,  and  that 
you  could  not  have  chosen  a  more  inconvenient  time  ;  an  hour 
too,  that  is  unprecedented  In  the  annals  of  the  history  of  the  Me- 
thodist Episcopal  Church  in  Charleston,  and  one  at  which  we 
cannot  possibly  attend  ;  in  addition  to  which  Uie  notice  is  quite 
too  short.  From  these  several  considerations  we  shall  expect  that 
the  time  will  be  changed  to  an  hour  post  meridian,  at  some  future 
day. 

You  will  also  understand  that  we  claim  the  right  guaranteed  to 
us  by  the  discipline,  of  trial  before  the  society.  (See  discipline  p. 
p.  21  and  87,  ed.  1828.) 

An  immediate  reply  is  requested. 

Very  Respectfully." 

To  this  letter  they  received  a  verbal  answer  that  as  the  preach- 
ers were  notified  to  attend  court,  the  trial  was  postponed, — 
The  right  of  trial  before  the  society  was  peremptorily  denied. 
That  evening  a  very  large  meeting  of  the  members  took  place, 
when  the  following  Resolutions  were  passed  : — 

"  Whereas,  several  brethren  have  been  charged  with  a  viola- 
tion of  discipline,  and  have  been  cited  to  trial,  and  positively  re- 
fused a  trial  before  the  society,  and  denied  the  right  to  demand 
the  same : 

Be  it  Resolved,  That  we  believe  the  members  of  our  Church 
have  the  right  under  the  discipline  to  demand  a  trial  before  the 
society  on  all  charges  brought  against  them. 


33 

Resolved,  That  the  brethren  charged  by  the  preacher  with  a 
violation  of  discipline  h  ive  that  right,  and  they  are  requested  by 
this  meeting  to  refuse  trial  in  any  other  way. 

Resolved,  That  a  letter  be  now  written,  and  signed  by  all  who 
acquiesce  in  the  preceding  resolutions,  addressed  to  the  preacher 
in  charge,  avowing  their  determination  to  share  the  fate  of  the 
members  cited  to  trial,  whatever  that  fate  may  be." 

In  accordance  with  the  last  resolution,  a  letter  was  prepared 
and  signed  by  the  whole  meeting. 

On  Tuesday  morning,  the  29th,  at  the  opening  of  the  court, 
the  counsel  for  the  old  Trustees  (they  having  made  themselves 
defendants  in  the  case)  gave  notice  to  the  magistrate  that  the 
action  was  not  within  his  jurisdiction,  exhibiting  a  writ  of  replevin, 
showing  that  he  had  removed  the  suit  into  a  superior  court ;  evi- 
dencing an  unwillingness  for  investigation,  and  showing  a  device 
whereby  a  postponement  might  be  gained  until  they  had  effected 
the  expulsion  of  the  prosecutors  (a  matter  determmed  on  by  the 
preachers  and  trustees. )  This  produced  some  discusssion,  when 
the  magistrate  postponed  a  decision  until  the  next  morning;  imme- 
diately after  wliich  the  following  citations  were  handed  to  the  new 
trustees,  in  the  court  room,  by  one  of  the  preachers  who  was 
present 
"  Dear  Brother  : 

You  will  please  attend  at  the  parsonage,  at  4  o'clock,  P.  M.  to 
respond  to  the  charge  handed  you  yesterday. 

Wm.  M.  KENNEDY. 
Tuesday,  29//i  July,  1834." 

At  4  o'clock,  the  accused  attended  at  the  parsonage,  the 
place  appointed  for  trial,  and  found  a  Committee  of  seven 
men,  chosen  by  the  preacher,  prepared  to  try  them.  They  de- 
manded the  right  of  trial  before  the  society,  and  to  show  that  they 
had  no  disposition  to  shun  investigation,  stated  that  they  were 
willing  that  it  shjuld  take  place  in  the  Church  with  open  doors, 
that  all  who  chose  might  be  present  at  it ;  the  only  reply  which 
they  could  obtain  to  this  was  that  it  was  the  province  of  the 
preacher  to  choose  a  Committee,  and  he  was  determined  to  exer- 
cise that  right.  It  w;is  then  objected  that  he  as  the  accuser,  and 
not  only  so,  but  ha\  ing  expressed  in  writing  his  conviction  of  the 
guilt  of  the  accused,  was  an  unfit  person  to  preside.  His  reply 
was,  the  discipline  put  him  in  the  chair,  and  there  he  would  re- 
main. Objections  were  then  made  to  the  Committee.  It  was 
stated  that  four  of  the  seven  were  known  to  be  violently  opposed 
to  the  accused,  and  had  publicly  expressed  their  opposition,  and 
had  said  that  they  ought  to  be  expelled  from  the  Church.     A  filth 


24 

was  a  good,  pious  old  gentleman,  who  could  neither  read  or  write, 
and  who  had  frankly  declared  that  he  could  n  )t  uiide  •sfand  the 
matter.     To  the  other  two,  no  ohjectio:i  w.w  made,  thoa"-h  it  was 
ell  known  that  they  were  of  the  old  Trasrecs  party.     The  reso- 
itions  of  the  meeting  held  the  evening  hefore  were  then  read,  and 
le  signatures  of  the  members  exhibited,  but  all  would  not  do. 
.  was  predetermined  that  they  should   be  expelled,  and  expelled 
-hey  must  be,  guilty  or  innocent.    The  IJcv.  Mr.  Pierce  observed, 
that  they  were  not  to  be  frightened  by  the  "  portentous  roll ;"  they 
were  determined  to   pursue  their  course,  if  there  were  not  12 
members  left  in  the  Church.     The  accused  finding  that  there  was 
not  the  most  remote  hope  of  obtaining  a  fair  trial,  or  having  justice 
done  them,  declared   their  determination   not  to   be   tried  by  a 
packed  jury,  and  left  the  room.     The  Committee  remained  and 
pretended  to  try  the  case.     We  understand  that  five  of  them 
signed  a  verdict  of  guilty,  two  refused  to  do  .so,  until  after  being 
repeatedly  urged  to  it  by  the  preacher  one  of  them  consented,  the 
seventh  persisted  in  his  conviction  of  the  injustice  done  the  .iccu- 
sed,  and  remained  firm  in  his  refusal  to  sign.     Thus  ended  this 
mockery  of  justice,  by  which  eight  men,  all  of  whom  had  been 
class  leaders  of  good  standing,  were  cut  off  from  the  membership 
of  the  Church;  the  ninth  being  a  local  preacher  was  reserved  for 
a  future  trial.     And  we  beg  that  it  mny  be  borne  in  mind,  that 
this  expulsion  was  not  for  the  commission  of  any  immoral  act,  but 
merely  for  differing  in  opinion  from  the  minister  as  to  the  proper 
construction  of  a  rule  in  the  discipline;  although  we  are  supported 
In  that  construction  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Bangs,  (at  whose  suggestion 
the  clause  in  dispute  was  inserted  by  the  General  Conference,) 
the  Christian  Advocate  and  Journal,  and  the  Quarterly  Review  : 
but  when  we  have  refered  to  these  again  and  again,  we  have  been 
told  that  neither  of  them  were  authority ;  one  preacher  observing, 
"  Dr.  Bangs'  remarks  are  altogether  gratuitous,  and  he  would 
have  to  answer  for  them  to  the  General  Conference,"  and  ano- 
ther, "  Dr.  B.  is  a  testy  old  fellow,  fond  of  speculating  on  contro- 
verted points,  whose  opinion  is  not  worth  six  pence  ;"  and  even  in 
presence  of  the  Committee  chosen  to  try  the  accused,  when  the 
question  was  emphatically  asked,   holding  up  the  Advocate  and 
Journal,  which  contained  a  justification  of  their  conduct,  whether 
that  paper  was  authority  or  not,  the  preacher  in  charge,  the  Rev. 
Wm.  M.  Kennedy,  distinctly  said  that  it  was  no  authority  .at  all. 
If  the  periodicals  published  under  the  direction  of  the   General 
Conference,  and  superintended  by  men  selected  for  their  ability, 
and  knowledge  of  Methodism,  is  not  authoi  ity ;  we  ask  in  the 
name  of  consistency,  who,  or  what  is  authority  ! 


25 

III  consequence  of  this  arbitrary   and  despotic  proceeding 
wortliy  of  a  Russian  autocrat,  or  the  Cham  of  Tartary,  nearly 
one  hundred  and  tifty  members  have  withdrawn  from  the  Church, 
and  now  appeal  to  an  enli;^htened  public  for   a  justification  of 
their  conduct.     Many  of  them  have  been  for  a  series  of  yeai-s 
members  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  although  they  have  often 
heard,  and  read,  of  the  aristocratic  power  of  the  ministry  of  that 
Church,  they  were  slow  to  believe  it,  until  they  have  been  made 
to  frel  that  power  to  its  full  extent.     They  still  hope  and  believe 
th:it  there  are  yet  men  both  in  the   ministry  and  membership  of 
that  Church  who  are  strictly  pious,  and  whose  sole  object  is  the 
promoJion  of  the  gospel  of  Christ ;  and  we  expect  still,  to  enjoy 
tlie  friendship  of  such  men.     To  the  Church  however,  we  bid  a 
final  farewell,  fully  conscious  that  with  our  present  knowledge  of 
the  despotic  power  given  to  the  ministry  by  the  Discipline,   we 
never  can  again  consent  to  be  members  without  sacrificing  the 
inalienable   lights  which  God  has  given  us,  and   in  defence  of 
which  we  hnve  the  support  of  the  laws  of  our  country.     A  prop- 
er regard  lor  our  own  standing  in   the  community  in  which  we 
live,  and  a  correction  of  the  false  reports  that  are  in  circulation, 
demanded  that  we  should  make  this  public  exposition ;  having 
done  so,  the  controversy  on  our  part  ceases  unless  we  are  com- 
pelled to  renew  it  in  self-defence,  and  the  only  favor  we  ask  of 
those  with  whom  we  were  formerly  associated  is  to  be  let  alone. 
We   make  this  request  in  consequence  of  the  Preachers,  and 
other  official  members  of  the  Church  going  from  house  to  house 
to  induce  those  who  have   seceded  to  return ;  endeavouring  to 
operate  upon  the  fears  and  prejudices  of  the  females,  by  telling 
them  that  by  leaving  the  Church,  they  lose  the  right  of  burial  in 
the   Methodist  grave  yaids,  where  some  of  them   have  relatives 
infercd  ;  and  very  j)lainly  intimating  to  others,  that  in  the  event 
of  the  death  of  themselves  or  their  children,  they  woidd  have  to 
be  buried  in  the  public  burial  ground  of  the  city.    Such  conduct, 
to  say  the  least  of  it,  merits  the  severest  reprehension,  and  is  to- 
tally unbecoming  gentlemen,   much  less  professors  of  Christiani- 
ty ;  and  we  are  authorised  to  say  that  such  visits  are  highly  offen- 
sive to  the   members,  and  will  be  gladly  dispensed  with.     And 
why  should  such  pains  be  taken  to  induce  members  to  return  1 
Have  not  the  preachers  declared  that  the  Almighty  had  come 
into   the  Church,  and   winnowed   the   chaff  from   the   Avhratl 
Surely  tiiey  do  not  wish  them  to  be  mixed  again.      We  certainlyy 
do  not  desire  it ;  and  repeat  that  the  only  favor  we  ask  is  to  be 
let  alone. 


26 


Signed  on  behalf  of  ihc  M«  nibors  : — 


JOHN     KINGMAN, 
WILLIAM     KIIMvWOOD, 
WILLIAM     (;.     MOOD. 
OLIVEU     H.     IIILLARJ), 
WILLIAM     LAVAL, 
F.     A.     BIXKMANN, 
W.     W.     CODFRKY, 
JOHN     II.     IIONOIR. 


Cnmmiltec. 


Charleston,  Augmt,  1H34. 


iv3^:^^:s^®iiss 


«^^^ 


If  it  should  l>e  a  PuliJRCf  of  inquiry  why  Dr.  Capers  was  not  charged  before 
tho  last  Aimu  il  ronferenoe,  the  answer  is  as  ready,  as  we  tnnt  it  will  be  satis- 
factory. It  was  the  intention  of  the  Corporation  party  to  impeach  him,  and  he 
nnist  have  been  aware  of  the  fact,  for  the  determination  to  do  so  was  repeatedly 
expressed  in  the  presence  of  his  warm  adherents,  who  it  was  well  known  repeated 
to  him  all  that  ihey  heard.  That  lhi<  intention  was  not  executed,  was  in  conse- 
iniv;nce  of  his  attending  the  Session  of  the  Georgia  (inference — which  was  held 
some  weeks  previous  to  the  sitting  of  the  S'outh-Carolina  Conference — and  it 
haviii"  been  stated  in  th  ■  newspapers,  that  he  was  to  be  transfered  to  the  former 
(oiifi-Tence,  and  stationed  in  Savarnah  ;  and  although  Bishop  Emory  very  justly 
r  marked,  when  informed  of  the  design  of  the  members  to  impeach,  that  the  Dr. 
was  amenable  to  the  !*outh-Carolina  (Conference  until  discharged  from  it  ;  yet  as 
he  was  to  (ill  an  important  station  in  Georgia,  it  was  apprehended  that  his  useful- 
ness might  be  materially  alfected  by  an  exposition  of  his  aristocratic  government 
of  the  (  hurcb  here,  which  we  did  not  wish  should  be  the  case.  "  But,"  it  may 
be  asked,  "  why  array  his  conduct  before  the  public  now  ?"  It  might  be  suffi- 
eien!  to  answer,  our  own  justificaiion  required  it.  But  ibis  is  not  all — when  he 
r.nioved  to  another  Conference,  it  was  expected  he  would  devote  himself  exclu- 
sively to  the  duties  of  his  particular  charge  ;  noic  it  is  known  that  though  absent 
in  body,  he  wa>  present  in  the  minds  of  those  who  remained,  and  who  succeeded 
him  on  tlit  slatioii,  and  we  have  good  reason  to  believe  that  a  constant  commu- 
nication has  been  kept  up,  and  no  step  of  consequence  was  ventured  on  without 
consulting  him.  The  preachers  themselves  have  declared  that  he  approved  and 
sfnirtioiud,  if  he  did  not  7cconimtn(l  the  course  pursued  by  them.  Thus,  he 
who  c;iu-ecl  ibe  agitation,  and  had  retired  from  the  conflict,  looking  through  the 
vista  of  120  miles,  to  a  station  which  be  contemplates  filling  at  the  end  of  the 
present  yeir,  has  had  the  address  so  to  use  the  preachers  here  as  to  obtain  the 
rtMuoval  of  those  who  he  knew  would  oppose  hi-i  return,  because  they  were 
aware  of  his  ability  to  disturb  the  peace  of  the  Church. 

It  IS  mentioned  in  the  preceding  pages,  that  one  of  the  new  Board  of  Trustees, 
being  a  Local  Preacher,  had  his  trial  defered  to  a  future  occasion.  The  circum- 
stances connected  with  his  case  having  come  to  our  notice  since  the  foregoing  was 
sent  to  the  press,  a,  d  they  being  of  such  a  nature  a.«i  to  require  some  comment, 
we  shall  here  give  a  brief  sketch  of  them. 

e  was  iiotilied  to  attend  at  Sumnurvillc,  twenty-one  miles  from  the  City, 
on  Thursday,  .\ugust  7th,  to  answer  to  the  charge  of  "  Disobedience  to  the  order 


28 

and  discipline  of  the  Cliurch."  He  pieparriljii^nsolf  to  do  so,  after  havin-T  willi 
sonic  diHiculty  prevailed  upon  his  \vitii(>«e^  to  go  \<4th  him.  Thi:<  the  Preacher 
WHS  not  prepared  for,  as  he  prohahl y  thought  bv  carrying  him  so  far  from  the 
cijy,  he  would  be  unable  to  make  a  defence.  After  limliiig  however  that  he  was 
ready  for  trial,  a  note  \v:ls  sent  to  him  on  Wedne-^day  Viighl,  betwtm  »  aiul  10 
o'clock,  informing  him  that  the  trial  was  postponed  until  some  day  in  thecnsuin" 
week.  On  Tuesday,  the  1 2th,  he  was  notified  that  the  place  of  trial  wits  chang" 
ed  to  the  Cypress  Swamp,  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  higher  up  the  couutrtj, 
the  time  Thui-sday,  the  1 4th.  To  have  gone  there  would  have  been  to  risk  liii 
life,  as  every  person  acquainted  with  our  low  country  knows  full  well,  that  to  re- 
main for  any  length  of  time  inhaling  the  pestilential  air  of  the  Swamps  is  almost 
certain  death  ;  his  witnesses  therefore  positively  refused  to  go.  I'nder  these  cir- 
cumstances, the  accused  addressed  a  letter  to  tlu;  I'reacher,  and  another  to  the 
Committee  staling  the  unpleasant  situatim  in  which  he  was  placed,  and  his  deter- 
mination not  to  attend  ;  at  the  same  time  informing  them  that  if  the  trial  should 
be  held  where  he  could  have  a  fair  opportunity  of  making  his  defence,  he  was 
ready,  and  anxious  for  an  investigation.  Among  other  reasons  which  he  adduc- 
ed in  justilication  of  his  refusal  to  appear  were  the  following  : — lie  was  satisfied 
that  it  would  take  so  long  to  reach  the  place  of  trial,  and  occupy  so  much  time 
in  investigating  the  case,  as  to  render  it  extremely  doubtful  whet'h:  r  it  would  be 
practicable  to  return  to  the  city  the  .same  day,  and  to  remain  in  the  country  over 
night  would  be  extremely  hazardous.  His  witnesses  positively  refused  to  go  so 
far  into  the  country,  and  risk  their  lives  unncccessarily  ;  and  he  claimed  the  priv- 
ilege of  being  tried  where  the  ollence  was  said  to  have  been  committed,  and 
where  he  could  without  difficulty  produce  evidence  to  testify  in  his  behalf,  who 
were  intimately  acquainted  with  the  circumstances  of  the  case. 

What  iinpartial  man  would  not  say  tiiat  these  rea.sons  were  amply  sutlicient  to 
obtain  either  a  postponement  of  the  trial  until  the  dinger  of  gohig  into  the  country 
should  be  over;  or  a  change  of  place  to  one  where  mens  live-  would  not  be  j<'opard- 
ed  by  attending  .'  Common  justice  required  that  one  of  these  two  things  should 
be  done  ;  but  the  Preacher  chose  to  determine  otherwise.  And  is  it  not  highly 
probable  that  both  the  time  and  place  were  selected  with  the  hope  that  either  tiie 
accused  would  refuse  to  attend  and  thus  be  cut  off  for  contumacy  ;  or  th  it  his 
witnesses  would  not  go,  and  he  would  be  unable  to  defend  himself.'  If  this  was 
not  so,  why  remove  the  trial  from  Summerville  where  there  wjis  no  objection 
made  to  attending .'  It  is  plain  to  perceive  that  it  behoved  the  Preacher  to 
obtain  a  verdict  of  guilty  against  the  accused.  He  hud  already  ellected  the  ex- 
pulsion of  eight  men  on  a  similar  charge  by  refusing  them  a  trial  except  before  a 
Conmiittee  of  his  own  choosing  ;  if  the  nitith  was  acquitted  after  a  fair  hearing 
before  impartial  men  who  had  no  interest  in  finding  him  guilty,  it  would  have  been 
a  severe  reflection  upon  him  for  his  previous  conduct.  It  was  therefore  abso- 
lutely necessary  for  the  saving  of  the  I'reacher's  characterthat  the  accused  should 
be  found  guilty,  and  nothing  was  left  undone  to  accomplish  it. 

We  understand  that  the  Preacher  met  the  Committee,  and  as  in  the  former 
ease,  acted  asChaiiman,  although  he  was  the  accuser,  and  on  his  cx-partc 
statement  a  verdict  of  guilty  was  rendered,  and  the  preacher  has  declared  him 
suspended  from  exercising  the  functions  of  his  ministerial  oltice,  until  the  meeting 
of  the  District  Conference. 

Such  is  the  manner  in  which  the  Preachers  on  this  station  exercise  the  power 
entrusted  to  ihem.  Wh.it  shall  we  say  more,  after  a  statement  of  facts  like 
these!  need  we  add  another  circumstance  that  we  would  willingly  conceal.' 
Shall  we  say  that  a  private  letter  which  was  addressed  to  an  individual  who,  it 
was  supposed  would  be  one  of  the  Committee,  and  entrusted  to  the  care  of  the 
Preacher,  was  broken  open,  the  sanctity  of  the  seal  violated,  and  its  conteiits 
read,  the  person  to  whom  it  was  addressed  being  abseat  !  !  !  Incredible  as  this 
may  appear,  the  fact  is  no  less  true. 


Date  Due 

SEP  4      '5 

L.  B.  Cat,  No.  1137 


^87.6      C477 


23847 


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